Do you ever wish you could just have a normal life? Have you ever asked yourself what you mean by that or what "normal" is in our society? Let's do that now.

The word "normal" is a statistical term meaning an average, standard, model or pattern. For example, if there are ten homes on the block and seven of those homes have garages, then 70% of the homes have garages. It could then be said that an average home on that block has a garage.

As I listened to a recorded speech given at a national Alcoholics Anonymous gathering, my mouth dropped open when the speaker reported a statistic that claimed 70% of motorists on the roads at any given time in this country are chemically impaired. That number includes alcohol, illegal substances, prescription medications, and over-the-counter medications.

I burst out laughing as I realized there was no way I wanted to be "normal!" That statistic did not deal with the resulting dysfunction in friends and families of the impaired drivers. Normal...